TORONTO, Dec 24 (Reuters) - Canada's dollar headed higher
for a third straight session on Friday, lifted by a rising
European oil price, but limited movement was expected in thin
trade ahead of the holidays.

At 8 a.m. (1 p.m. GMT), the Canadian currency CAD=D4 was
at C$1.0072 to the U.S. dollar, or 99.29 U.S. cents, up from
Thursday's North American session close at C$1.0089 to the U.S.
dollar, or 99.12 U.S. cents.

Earlier, it touched as high as C$1.0053 to the greenback,
or 99.47 U.S. cents, its strongest level in a week, as oil
hovered around its highest levels in more than two years,
supported by cold weather across the globe and appetite for
risk assets. [O/R]

"Pre-holiday thin conditions combined with an early close
suggest that it will all wrap up by midday today. The range on
dollar/Canada should see it potentially trade down to C$1.0040,
likely no higher than C$1.0090 in a relatively muted session,"
said Jack Spitz, managing director of foreign exchange at
National Bank Financial.

"Markets will be thin until the middle part of next week.
There should be some calendar year-end flow and
repatriation-related activity. The market will pick up in a
meaningful way after the new year," he added.

Traders noted that given little liquidity before Christmas
and New Year holidays, the currency was being driven more by
flows from orders going through. There was no data due on
Friday.

Canadian bond prices were mildly lower as overseas stock
markets were higher, and were weighed by the fairly positive
economic data from the previous session.

The two-year bond CA2YT=RR was down 6 Canadian cents to
yield 1.696 percent, while the 10-year bond CA10YT=RR slipped
8 Canadian cents to yield 3.178 percent.

Toronto's main equity index and the Canadian government
bond market will shut early on Friday, while the Bank of Canada
plans to publish its noon and closing rates concurrently, at
about 12:15 p.m. Markets will reopen on Wednesday.
(Reporting by Ka Yan Ng; Editing by Derek Caney)